For Auburn's struggling offense, the time is now (beat column)

Auburn offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler leads an offense ranked last in the SEC in total offense and scoring offense. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

AUBURN, Alabama -- Four games into his first season at Auburn,
offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler is still struggling to establish an
offensive identity.

From what Auburn has shown so far, the Tigers want to
establish the run, then use play-action to open up the passing game.

Auburn's still trying to put that plan into action.

Against both Clemson and Louisiana-Monroe, the Tigers got
Tre Mason going between the tackles, sprung Onterio McCalebb on the outside and
showcased a solid running game.

But Mason was largely an afterthought in the early-going
against Mississippi State and LSU, McCalebb was repeatedly dropped for a loss
and Mike Blakely's role has been sporadic at best, nonexistent at worst.

"We don't care what defense we have in front of us," Mason
said, "we have what it takes to run the ball."

The passing game has struggled even more behind the
struggles of sophomore quarterback Kiehl Frazier.

Auburn ranks dead-last in the SEC in passing. The closest
the Tigers have come to producing a big-play passing game was in the
season-opener against Clemson, when Frazier hit Emory Blake for a 54-yard
touchdown, Philip Lutzenkirchen for a 38-yarder.

And Frazier has struggled mightily as the game goes on.
Frazier has completed 58.5 percent of his passes in the first half, and that
includes a 1-for-7 performance in the first half against Mississippi State.

He's only completing 47.9 percent in the second half.

"When you look at our passing game, everybody's got to step
up," head coach Gene Chizik said. "That starts with the o-line and protection
and the backs. Again, it goes to the accuracy of the quarterback and the
receivers being able to catch balls when they get opportunities."

That's what makes Saturday's game against Arkansas so important.

No SEC defense has struggled more than the Razorbacks, a
team giving up 510.2 yards per game, 85 yards per game more than any other SEC
defense.

Battered and bruised by injuries in the secondary, Arkansas
has been shredded by every quarterback with an able-bodied arm. Before Rutgers
played the Razorbacks, the Scarlet Knights were ranked 103rd in the country in
passing.

And Arkansas' secondary hasn't been getting any help from
the injury bug. Safety Eric Bennett, cornerback Tevin Mitchell and cornerback
Kaemon Kelleybrew are all still battling injuries, leaving true freshmen to man
the corners.

Few chances are going to be better for Frazier to build some
confidence in the passing game.

"What do you
think they're going to do?" Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Haynes asked reporters
last night. "They're going to come in here and throw the ball around. You know,
I would, too."

Haynes may be overexaggerating a bit. Against a Razorbacks
defense that is giving up 160.8 yards per game on the ground, Auburn will
likely try to establish the run with Mason and McCalebb first against a team
that has struggled to tackle in every game.

Then Loeffler can open it up and let Frazier air it out
against Arkansas' beleaguered secondary.

The strategy worked for Texas A&M last week. Behind 218
yards on the ground and 498 through the air, the Aggies rolled up 716 yards of
total offense on an Arkansas defense that has to get right back on the road.

Of all the defenses Auburn's offense has faced, no team
looks more ripe for the picking.

For Scot Loeffler's offense, the time to start building an
identity is now.